Hey, Luigi, take dis radio antenna to the gang metallurgist and see if it is strong enough to make a zip gun out of.

Uh, Mr Purdey, have you had those horseshoe nails analyzed to see if they are the right alloy to make a Damascus barrel out of?

There is a lot of information on the internet, but a lot of it seems to be used to support timidity. I never heard of taking a second hand firearm to a gunsmith before I dared shoot it until I got a computer. In those days the gunsmith was the guy down at the lock and key shop and I would not take his word for the soundness of a gun anyhow.

I guess I'd better hand in my metallurgy degree !
Some of the comments warrented snide remarks so that's what you got. So get me a list of types of rebar and chemical analysis.
I wasn't totally detailed in my responses. You can get purple in addition to green epoxy. For those who aren't cheap you even can get stainless steel rebar ! Of course normal barrel steels are typically 4140 . In any case we as kids years ago made "zip guns" for " 22" s from automobile antennas !! Real high tech stuff.That's enough for one night .

I have made a number of center punches and cold chisels out of common rebar.
I used to forge them out, then heat to red hot and water quench. Sold them the the fabrication department where I used to work. The foreman said that they held their point better than the purchased ones.
I think about early damascus barrels and think that they were pretty awesome craftsmen.

Read an article in Precision Shooting of the rebar barreled rifle. It was used to shoot plain base cast bullets. Sure enough be a tack driver. The scope bases were mounted using glue or bedding compound & then wire was wrapped around the scope in rifle just in case. Believe me these guys knew what they were doing.

With knowhow, it's amazing what can be made.
While this is slightly off topic, here's an example.
A sheet metal engine block.
No doubt those who say a rifle barrel cannot be made from rebar, would doubt this engine.
But it served well during WW2 for boats and generators, and later as an engine in Crosley cars.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crosley
And think of all the firearms receivers made of sheet metal.
Once also thought an impossibility.
Never say never.

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